should say that it commences at Mesurata, and extends southward
along the coast as far as Giraff; occupying altogether a space of 101
miles by 15, and narrowing towards its southern termination. A
small part of the marsh only was covered with water when we
crossedit; but'from the alternate laminae of salt and alluvial deposite
as well as from the numerous small shells principally of the trochus
kind, which cover its surface, it is evident that the sea at times
wholly inundates it.1 Our guides were always desirous that we
should not deviate from the track, and were constantly representing
to us the danger there was of sinking, with all the usual hyperbole of
Arab description. . As we suspected, however, that they only made
difficulties in order to save thèmselvës the trouble of attending us in
our excursions, we paid but little attention to their observations of
this nature ; and continued to cross the marsh, whenever our duties
rendered it necessary that we should examine either the coast or the
country beyond it, taking no other precautions than those of keeping
in such places as appeared to ourselves to offer the firmest footing.
The crusted surface occasionally gave way under our horses’ feet, and
discovered hollow spaces of various depths underneath, at the bottom
of which appeared water : but as none of our party ever sank in
very deeply, we concluded that these hollows were too trifling to be
dangerous, and continued to cross the marsh wherever it seemed
practicable, till experience at length convinced us that a portion of
truth was mixed up with the exaggerated accounts of our guides,
and induced us to use more precaution.
Many insulated spots, both of earth and of sand, are conspicuous
in different parts of the marsh; and most *of these places are
honoured with a name by their Mahometan visitors or occasional
inhabitants. The road, if such we may call it, either winds along
the margin of these little islands, or traverses them, when necessary
for greater security. The first of these which occurs, after leaving
Mesurata, is the little oasis called Towergah; lying out of the track
at a distance of seven or eight miles from the coast: it has a village,
and a considerable plantation of date-trees.
A little beyond this is said to be another small insulated spot
called Wady Haifa, where date-trees are also to be found; but this
was not in sight from the immediate neighbourhood of the coast.
The surface of the marsh, in the direction of these places, presents a
smooth, unvaried level, as far as the eye can reach, wholly destitute
of any vegetation; it consists entirely of an incrustation of salt and
alluvial deposit. In following the route along the. coast, the first
rising ground which occurs, of any tolerable dimensions, is Melfa*;
where are the remains o f ; an old, dilapidated Mar&but, and
occasionally a patch of vegetation, affording a scanty supply to a few
miserable-looking goats.
To this succeeds Sooleb, which we have already pointed out as
the southern limit of the marsh, according to the dimensions given
Arar occurs before Melfa ; but, though a good deal above the level of the marsh,
it cannot well be considered as an island, but is rather a continuation of the little range
of high land which we have mentioned as running along the coast in the neighbourhood
of the causeway. It consists wholly of heaps of sand, overspread occasionally with vege-
tation, and is remarkable as possessing a tall and solitary date-tree, the only one to be
met with on the coast of the Syrtis, in a tract of more than four .hundred miles.